There is provided an imaging element that photographs multiple viewing point images corresponding to images observed from different viewing points and an image processing unit separates an output signal of the imaging element, acquires the plurality of viewing point images corresponding to the images observed from the different viewing points, and generates a left eye image and a right eye image for three-dimensional image display, on the basis of the plurality of acquired viewing point images. The image processing unit generates parallax information on the basis of the plurality of viewing point images obtained from the imaging element and generates a left eye image and a right eye image for three-dimensional image display by 2D3D conversion processing using the generated parallax information. By this configuration, a plurality of viewing point images are acquired on the basis of one photographed image and images for three-dimensional image display are generated.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. An image processing apparatus, comprising: an image sensor configured to generate an electrical signal in response to light incident on pixel elements; and a polarizing unit configured to transmit the light to the pixel elements, the polarizing unit comprising a first polarization region configured and arranged to transmit light polarized in a first direction onto a first plurality of the pixel elements including more than four pixel elements of 2×2, a second polarization region configured and arranged to transmit light polarized in a second direction, which is different than the first direction, onto a second plurality of the pixel elements including more than four pixel elements of 2×2, and a transmission region configured and arranged to transmit light polarized in all directions onto a third plurality of the pixel elements.
2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first polarization region comprises a horizontal polarization region and the second polarization region comprises a vertical polarization region.
3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the polarizing unit comprises a second polarizing unit, and wherein the apparatus further comprises: a first polarizing unit configured and arranged to transmit light to the second polarizing unit, the first polarizing unit comprising a first polarization section configured and arranged to transmit light polarized in the first direction to the first polarizing unit, and a second polarization section configured and arranged to transmit light polarized in the second direction to the second polarizing unit.
4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the first and second polarization sections of the first polarizing unit are arranged on a left side and a right side, respectively, of a center point of the first polarizing unit.
5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising image processing circuitry configured to process the signals generated by the second plurality of pixel elements to generate a two-dimensional image corresponding to an image observed from the center point of the first polarizing unit.
6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the image processing circuitry is further configured to generate the two-dimensional image as a two-dimensional RGB image.
7. An image processing apparatus comprising: an image sensor configured to generate an electrical signal in response to light incident on pixel elements; first and second polarizing units; and image processing circuitry; wherein: the first polarizing unit is configured and arranged to transmit light to the second polarizing unit; the first polarizing unit comprises a first polarization section configured and arranged to transmit light polarized in a first direction to the first polarizing unit, and a second polarization section configured and arranged to transmit light polarized in a second direction, which is different than the first direction, to the second polarizing unit; the second polarizing unit is configured to transmit the light to the pixel elements, the second polarizing unit comprising a first polarization region configured and arranged to transmit light polarized in the first direction onto a first plurality of the pixel elements, a second polarization region configured and arranged to transmit light polarized in the second direction onto a second plurality of the pixel elements, and a transmission region configured and arranged to transmit light polarized in all directions onto a third plurality of the pixel elements; and the image processing circuitry is configured to process the signals generated by the first and second pluralities of pixel elements to generate a depth map that includes object distance information corresponding to pixels forming an image.
8. The image processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the image processing circuitry is further configured to generate the depth map by processing the signals generated by the first plurality of pixel elements to generate a left eye image, processing the signals generated by the second plurality of pixel elements to generate a right eye image, and detecting deviation between pixels of the left eye image and pixels of the right eye image.
9. The image processing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the image processing circuitry is further configured to detect deviation between the pixels of the left eye image and the pixels of the right eye image by block matching processing and calculating an object distance according to a detected deviation amount between the pixels of the left eye image and the pixels of the right eye image.
10. The image processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the image processing circuitry is further configured to generate the depth map as an image to which a brightness value according to an object distance is set.
11. An image processing apparatus comprising: an image sensor configured to generate an electrical signal in response to light incident on pixel elements; a polarizing unit configured to transmit the light to the pixel elements, the polarizing unit comprising a first polarization region configured and arranged to transmit light polarized in a first direction onto a first plurality of the pixel elements, a second polarization region configured and arranged to transmit light polarized in a second direction, which is different than the first direction, onto a second plurality of the pixel elements, and a transmission region configured and arranged to transmit light polarized in all directions onto a third plurality of the pixel elements; and image processing circuitry configured to process signals from the first plurality of pixel elements as a left viewing point image, to process signals generated by the second plurality of pixel elements as a right viewing point image, and to process signals from the third plurality of pixel elements as a central viewing point image.
12. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein first plurality of pixels comprises adjacent pixel elements arranged in a line.
13. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of pixels comprises rectangular groups of adjacent pixel elements.
14. An image processing apparatus comprising: an image sensor configured to generate an electrical signal in response to light incident on pixel elements; a polarizing unit configured to transmit the light to the pixel elements, the polarizing unit comprising a first polarization region configured and arranged to transmit light polarized in a first direction onto a first plurality of the pixel elements, and a transmission region configured and arranged to transmit light polarized in all directions onto a second plurality of the pixel elements; and image processing circuitry configured to process signals generated by the second plurality of pixel elements as a central viewing point image and to process signals from the first plurality of pixel elements as a viewing point image different than the central viewing point image.
15. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising image processing circuitry configured to separate signals generated by the third plurality of pixel elements from signals generated by the first plurality of pixel elements.
16. An image processing apparatus comprising: an image sensor configured to generate an electrical signal in response to light incident on pixel elements; first and second polarizing units; and image processing circuitry; wherein: the first polarizing unit is configured and arranged to transmit light to the second polarizing unit; the first polarizing unit comprises a first polarization section configured and arranged to transmit light polarized in a first direction to the first polarizing unit, and a second polarization section configured and arranged to transmit light polarized in a second direction, which is different than the first direction, to the second polarizing unit; the first and second polarization sections of the first polarizing unit are arranged on a left side and a right side, respectively, of a center point of the first polarizing unit; the second polarizing unit is configured to transmit the light to the pixel elements, the second polarizing unit comprising a first polarization region configured and arranged to transmit light polarized in the first direction onto a first plurality of the pixel elements, a second polarization region configured and arranged to transmit light polarized in the second direction onto a second plurality of the pixel elements, and a transmission region configured and arranged to transmit light polarized in all directions onto a third plurality of the pixel elements; and the image processing circuitry is configured to process the signals generated by the third plurality of pixel elements to generate a two-dimensional image corresponding to an image observed from the center point of the first polarizing unit, to process the signals generated by the first and second pluralities of pixel elements to generate a depth map that includes object distance information corresponding to pixels forming an image, and to generate a left eye image and a right eye image using the generated two-dimensional image and the depth map.
17. The image processing apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the image processing circuitry is further configured to generate the left eye image and the right eye image by extracting a spatial feature amount of an input image signal and generating a new viewing point image by executing different emphasis processing for the extracted feature amount.
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July 1, 2015
October 24, 2017
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